REACH

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of Chemicals

REACH

CONSTRUCTION FIXING ANCHOR RESINS

The situation with this range of products may be different in that components in the cartridges could either be substances or preparations including mixtures of two or more chemical substances in a container. If sourced from within the EU, including the UK, the responsibility for registration under REACH will rest with the EU manufacturer or first importer of the substances into the EU. The distributor’s responsibility when supplying a substance or mixture is to ensure it passes on health and safety information including Safety Data Sheets. Additionally, if the supplier provides information on the hazards or safe handling of a product there is a duty to provide this to the customer. A distributor must not distribute containing substances that should have been registered but have not been. There is also an obligation to retain information required to carry out the distributor’s duty under REACH for at least ten years from the last date a substance was supplied.

PLATED OR COATED FASTENERS

Coated fasteners are considered REACH articles, there are no registration obligations as long as there is no release of chemical substances from them.

THREAD LOCKED FASTENERS

The issues outlined above for plated fasteners also apply to fasteners that have thread locking patches or adhesive compounds applied to them.

NYLON INSERTS LOCKING - NYLON TIPS - NYLON FASTENERS

The issues outlined above for plated fasteners also apply to fasteners that are made of Nylon or other polymers or have Nylon tips or Nylon inserts.

Below are leaflets produced by the UK CA in collaboration with other UK Government Departments. They are intended to cover the key issues of various aspects of REACH. Anyone requiring more detailed information should consult the comprehensive guidance available from the ECHA website. These can be accessed via the information and guidance page.

Information leaflets

REACH

REACH is the Regulation for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It became law on the 1st June 2007 to streamline and improve the former legislative framework on chemicals of the European Union. REACH directive places greater responsibility on industry to manage the risks that chemicals may pose to health and the environment.
In principle REACH applies to all chemicals: not only chemicals used in industrial processes but also in our day-to-day life, for example in cleaning products, paints as well as in articles such as clothes, furniture and electrical appliances.

Aim of REACH

Enhance the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry.
Promote alternative methods for the assessment of hazards of substances.
Ensure the free circulation of substances on the internal market of the European Union.
Improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals.

How will REACH work?

REACH makes industry bear most responsibilities to manage the risks posed by chemicals and provide appropriate safety information to their users.
All manufacturers and importers of chemicals must identify and manage risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market. For substances produced or imported in quantities of 1 tonne or more per year per company, manufacturers and importers need to demonstrate that they have appropriately done so by means of a registration dossier, which shall be submitted to the Agency.
Once the registration dossier has been received, the Agency may check that it is compliant with the Regulation and shall evaluate testing proposals to ensure that the assessment of the chemical substances will not result in unnecessary testing, especially on animals.
Where appropriate, authorities may also select substances for a broader substance evaluation to further investigate substances of concern.
Manufacturers and importers must provide their downstream users with the risk information they need to use the substance safely. This will be done via the classification and labelling system and Safety Data Sheets (SDS), where needed.

REACH timetable

1 June 2007 – REACH enters into force

1 December 2008 – deadline for all companies intending to register a substance to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) (pre-registration)

1 December 2010 – Registration deadline for manufacturers/importers supplying a substance of above 1000 tonnes per year, or a Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or toxic for Reproduction (CMR) category 1 or 2 substance above 1 tonne per year

1 June 2011 – Notification of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) commences

1 June 2013 – Registration deadline for manufacturers/importers supplying a substance above 100 tonnes per year

1 June 2018 – Registration deadline for manufacturers/importers supplying a substance above 1 tonne per year